1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pump-motor assemblies and, more particularly, to submersible pump-motor assemblies having a lead protector.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
Submersible pump-motor assemblies for domestic water well and other applications typically include a lead protector to protect the leads, or cabling, running alongside the pump to the motor. Without the lead protector, the leads may be damaged during installation as the pump-motor assembly is lowered into a well. The lead protector may also help prevent damage after installation during subsequent maintenance efforts requiring removal of the assembly from the well. During operation, the leads may require protection in cases where the pump-motor assembly may impact the well casing.
Lead protectors are usually installed during assembly of the pump and motor units. Generally, this timing makes installation more convenient because the lead protector can be attached to the pump housing as the cabling and leads are connected to the motor.
Screw fasteners have generally been used to hold the lead protector in position along the exterior of the pump housing. In one past design, the upper and lower ends of the lead protector were secured to the pump housing via screw fasteners, with the lower end being attached at a point near the motor bracket of the pump unit. Another past design relied on screw fasteners at the upper end of the lead protector, while the lower end was disposed in a slot formed by two arms projecting from the pump housing. In either case, the lead protector provided coverage through essentially the entire length of the pump unit.
Submersible pump-motor assemblies are often not assembled until installation in the field to allow for, among other things, separate transport of large pump and motor units. Unfortunately, assembly in the field has meant that installation of the lead protector has also typically occurred in the field. In such cases, installation of the lead protector may constitute a troublesome, time-consuming, or otherwise problematic phase of the overall installation. In particular, the handling of screw fasteners may be especially troubling when ambient or other conditions at the field site are adverse. More generally, the screw fasteners are often lost when dropped or misplaced in the field. Complications may also arise from parts not manufactured within a tolerance that guarantees alignment of holes for the screw fasteners.